This invention relates to the art of sheep slaughtering and to machinery to be used on the sheep-killing chain. More specifically, the invention is a machine for breaking the foretoes of sheep carcasses.
Possibly the least sought after job in a sheep slaughter house is the toe breaker's job. It is a tedious job which requires strength and endurance; it can be handled only by husky men.
In the slaughtering process the sheep are suspended from the killing chain by hooks inserted between the bones and tendons of the hind feet and are conveyed with the forefeet hanging down. The toe breaker stands on the side of the chain which will present the bellies of the sheep to his view. As each carcass comes into reach, he grasps its two forefeet, one in each hand in a milking grip, and breaks the toes at the knuckles by simultaneously raising the toes and turning his hands over and inwardly towards his own body.
A man must be broken in slowly on the job. On the average it requires a full 3 weeks to get a new man accustomed to toe breaking and physically conditioned to handle the job unassisted. During the "break in" period, another man must assist the apprentice toe-breaker and relieve him periodically. It sometimes happens that a new man will be on the job only a few hours before a weakness in his wrists will cause him to stop. In many cases medical treatment is required.
Because it is generally considered the least desirable job in the plant, and because union rules provide that the newest man gets the least desirable job, the toe-breaker's job is filled only until a new man acquires enough seniority to advance to a different job. Due to the usual high turnover of personnel in a slaughter house, this may be a matter of a few weeks or less.
It is recognized that at best the job is tedious in addition to being physically wearing. Nonetheless it is a necessary job. The sheep's toes must be removed and the most efficient way to remove them is to first break them at the knuckles. When the toes are broken, a splinter of bone sticks out through the pelt, marking the joint where the toes should be severed from the rest of the leg. This serves two purposes--it makes the toes easier to sever and it also indicates the position of the joint so that no false moves are made in severing the toes.
For the purposes of relieving fatigue and injury to the workmen, upgrading the job, and reducing the manpower and hours required to be devoted to this operation, especially in breaking in, it would be desirable to have a machine capable of doing the onerous part of the toe-breaker's job. As will hereafter be pointed out, applicant's invention meets this need.